Dance Educator

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Sara Falstad began her ballet training with the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education, where she studied for 10 years before relocating to New Orleans in 2009. In New Orleans, Sara furthered her training at the Schramel Conservatory of Dance under the direction of Greg and Marjorie Hardwick Schramel before accepting a traineeship with the Charlotte Ballet Academy in 2012, and then a traineeship with the Joffrey Academy of Dance in 2013. During this time, she also enjoyed returning to New Orleans to dance in New Orleans Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker and Summer Solstice. In 2015, Sara’s career took her to the Sarasota Ballet, where she performed in ballets by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Matthew Hart, George Balanchine, Dame Ninette de Valois, Anthony Tudor, and Sir Frederick Ashton. 

In 2017, she took the opportunity to dance internationally with Tokyo Disney Resort by joining their flagship live show One Man’s Dream II: The Magic Lives On, a Disney medley featuring many of Disney’s iconic characters. She remained in Japan for three years dancing in both title and ensemble roles until the show’s closing in December 2019. 

Upon her return to New Orleans in January 2020, Sara rejoined New Orleans Ballet Theatre as a company artist, where she performed in a variety of works, including the company’s productions of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, and Cinderella, George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco and Serenade, Tara Lee’s Under the Olive Tree, Diogo de Lima’s Esplanade, Oliver Halkowich’s Romeo + Juliet, Donald Jones Jr.’s A Suite Named Desire, and more. Featured roles included Snow Queen and Arabian (The Nutcracker), Summer Fairy (Cinderella), First Violin (Concerto Barocco), and Mina (Dracula). She also originated multiple roles in ballets choreographed by Gregory Schramel, Diogo de Lima, and Oliver Halkowich, including Mina in O. Halkowich’s Dracula and, most recently, Poli in O. Halkowich’s Sporting House.

While dancing for New Orleans Ballet Theatre, Sara was a ballet instructor in both the company’s affiliated school, the Schramel Conservatory of Dance (SCOD), and the company’s summer intensives, teaching ballet technique to students of all ages, pointe to the school’s intermediate and advanced students, and repertoire classes. She also directed SCOD’s Mini Dance Camp for seven years, a week-long summer camp for young dancers that guides them through creative movement classes, arts and crafts, and a performance for their loved ones upon the camp’s completion. In addition to Mini Dance Camp, Sara has also spent the last three summers teaching for Northwest Florida Ballet’s summer intensives as one of their leading ballet instructors.  

Excited to be back in Georgia, this is Sara’s first season with Georgia Dance Theatre, where she looks forward to not only dancing but also being a member of the Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts faculty.